Her Knight In Shining Armour
by Supremacy of Chaos
Summary: For the first time in history, Cocoon and Gran Pulse united to defeat a common enemy that threatened to annihilate all of humanity. Seven years later, when the war ended, the two nations attempt establish peace and alliance. Two women are chosen to be the symbol, but it soon becomes obvious that this relationship is very hard to build. AU. FLight.
1. Chapter I

Author's Note:

**Updated Verion (Oct. 16th, 2013).**

**Huge thanks to _Evelos _for proofreading this chapter and helping me improve the story. **

This will probably be about ten chapters long.

Creative writing is not my strong suit. I spent the last four years of my life writing only lab reports, analytical English essays, and long, painful history papers. So constructive critisms are welcome. Please point out any grammar, spelling mistakes, or missing words, etc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or its characters. This applies for the rest of this story.

* * *

**Chapter I**

_**The Heroes of the War...**_

The War of Transgression was the toughest war the humans had ever fought. For seven years, the humans defended their homes against intruders known as the Fal'Cie, godlike creatures that were once worshipped by the people.

The world prior to the Fal'Cie invasion was peaceful, for the majority of the time. There was a long, bitter rivalry between Gran Pulse, a huge continent consisting of wilderness, beasts, and native tribesmen; and Cocoon, the more advanced continent ruled by a primarch. Their rivalry began during the ancient times for unknown reasons and war often broke out between the two.

The attack from the Fal'Cie came without any kind of warning. The day before the attack, life went on as usual. The young children of the Pulsian tribes trained and played. The Cocoonian kids went to school. The adults continued their usual routines: working and cursing the other superpower once in a while.

However, the next day, dark clouds gathered over Oerba, and the Fal'Cie invaded.

Oerba was a small but prosperous hunting village. It often served as a base for the Yun tribe, a group of hunters and warriors, that would come down from the Northern Mountains to hunt the Adamantoise on the planes of Archylte Steppe. The Yuns had a reputation for their skills, weaponry, and rebellious nature. They were feared by the other tribes for their ruthless and fierce ways on the battlefield.

So it wasn't much of a surprise that Oerba was the first place the Fal'Cie attacked, especially since the daughter of the Yun chief had openly insulted Fal'Cie Anima just days before.

Although the Yuns were very capable fighters, the Fal'Cie's attack was a surprise. Oerba fell in one day, and its native residents were evacuated to Paddra, home of the Farseer tribe, in Yaschas Massif.

The Battle of Oerba marked the beginning of the War of Transgression. The tribes of Gran Pulse were united by the Yuns to defend their land and avenge Oerba. Even though at first the spirits of vengeance were high and the warriors were determined to win, it soon became clear that it was just a matter of time before the Fal'Cie would slay every human on Gran Pulse. After many defeats and no victories, the morale was at an all time low. The casualty among the humans were high; many were dead, even more were severely wounded. Reluctantly, the Pulsians finally asked for the help of the Cocoonians. Cocoon refused at first, seeing that it was a chance to wipe out their biggest rival once and for all, but when their own primarch, Galenth Dysley, revealed himself to be Fal'Cie Barthandelus at the end of the first year, it became obvious to the people of Cocoon that this war was going to annihilate all of humanity if the Fal'Cie continued to advance.

So, for the first time in history, Cocoon and Gran Pulse united against a common enemy. The first three years of the war were a total bloodbath for the humans. However, by year four, when the Pulsian priests and Cocoonian scientists finally unlocked the power of the crystals, magic users, known as l'Cie, began to emerge on the human's side.

The l'Cie, led by Commander Farron, successfully turned the tide against the Fal'Cie.

Then one fateful day, seven years after the start of the war, a young Pulsian warrior, the same one that insulted Anima before the Fall of Oerba, killed the leader of the Fal'Cie, Orphan, in the Battle of Eden.

The humanity had, at last, secured its victory.

The warrior, known as Ragnarok on the battlefield, become humanity's saviour and greatest hero.

_**His Highness, Primarch of Cocoon...**_

After the end of the war, Commander Farron was elected as the new Primarch of Cocoon. As a result, the responsibility of reconstruction and establishment of a permanent peace treaty with Gran Pulse fell onto Cloud Farron's shoulders.

The Gran Pulsians, much to his surprise, were not hard to talk to since the war had shown the people the importance of peace. So he figured, while this joy lasted, it would be a good time to start building a positive relationship between Cocoon and Gran Pulse.

One month after the war, the tribal representatives and Primarch Farron would sign the peace treaty that would establish a friendly relation between Cocoon and Gran Pulse for the first time in history. Many were very excited, especially those war heroes that could not wait any longer for their rewards.

"Ooh, oh, Fangy! Can we go to Cocoon for a really, really long vacation?" A cheerful red-haired girl, Vanille, said to the woman beside her. "You know how I always wanted to go there! So after your father signs the treaty, these Cocoonians won't be able to be mean to us anymore!"

The Pulsian warriors around looked at her weirdly.

Despite that the relationship between the Cocoonians and the Pulsians had improved from the war, she was really the only one who wanted that.

Vanille was a girl at the age of nineteen. Her perky and cheerful personality made her seem more innocent than she actually was. She wore tribal clothing and quite a few colourful bracelets and necklaces, which were made of various-coloured beads. Her hair was tied into curly pig tails. She wore a brown fur pelt around her waist, made from a bear she had killed by herself while Fang was injured at the side, worrying sick.

"Okay, okay, Vanille, calm down. We can do whatever you want after getting our rewards, ya?" Fang replied casually.

Fang looked quite different from Vanille. She was a tall, young woman at the age of twenty-one. She had a warrior's body and many scars to prove her involvement in the war. She wore a blue sari and personal adornments similar to that of Vanille's. Her dark brown hair was wavy and wild, just like her personality. Her eyes were the same colour as Vanille's, green.

They were currently riding their chocobos to the Capitol Building of Cocoon in Eden. Although Fang didn't show it like Vanille did, she was very thrilled about this, too. In fact, she hardly slept in the last month, though she very much needed her sleep, because she couldn't stop herself from thinking of the gold and glory she would receive as the slayer of Orphan.

"I have a huge plan, and it's going to awesome," Vanille continued to babble on, "Oh, and I heard that they are going to erect a huge statue in your honour in Oerba and Eden! Oh, dear Maker!" She squealed.

"They better," Fang chuckled lightly, "and it better be pure gold or something, for I am the great Oerba Yun Fang, saviour of the people, y'all should be worshipping me right now."

"I'll do it in my head, oh, Great Yun Fang! But first I have to marry my beloved Susan!" One Cocoonian soldier, Sergeant Brent Walker, said dryly.

"Yeah..." nodded a Pulsian warrior, "I'm going to ask my love to marry me once I get home."

Then one after another, the men began to chat about their loved ones. Fang could understand their excitement behind going home after seven long years of hard battles, she missed her home, too. But her mind wasn't set on living a peaceful and normal life after this; no, she had bigger goals.

"What about you, Fang? When are you going to settle down?" Vanille asked.

"Dunno," Fang said, "probably never." She stretched her shoulders. "I'm a free spirit. An explorer, not someone at home taking care of children, Vanille."

"I think you're just scared."

"Of what?"

"The responsibilities of marriage and having a family of your own," Vanille began to pout, "but I want to become an aunt someday, Fang!"

Unlike Fang, Vanille was more playful, childish, and a lot more family-orientated. The war had been very hard on her, since she nearly lost her entire tribe as a result. Although Vanille did not see the terrors on the battlefield with her own eyes, her job as a healer did not spare her from the pain that was brought along with the wounded and dead soldiers. Fang had insisted many times for Vanille to retreat farther away from the front-lines since the Fal'Cie did not care if it was a soldier or doctor it was attacking. Vanille was a stubborn girl. She was scared to death but she stayed with Fang. They were both born in Oerba; Vanille of the Dia clan, and Fang of the Yuns. They had grown up together as sisters. Although they were not related by blood, the priests of Oerba had said the two girl were bound by their spirits, inseparable.

Later, in the city of Eden, Primarch Farron began his speech to the people of Cocoon and Gran Pulse. Rewards were given out and many men and women were promoted. Yet, after three long hours of peace talk, after the Treaty of Peace had been signed by the Primarch and Yun Chief, Fang's father, the big reward she had anticipated still had not come.

Patience was not something Fang had been born with. Even though Vanille tried to reassure her many times, she was getting more and more anxious as each second passed.

The civilians were standing behind them, quietly listening to the leaders. The Cocoon representatives, mostly military officers, stood on the right side of the grand stage. Fang and her people stood to the left. On the stage, which was in front of the Capitol Building, stood her father and the King.

Fang glanced over to the people of Cocoon. She remembered some of them, the ones she had fought alongside with. Then her attention was caught by a young woman around her age. She stood proudly and confidently at the front. She was beautiful.

Fang had never seen her before. Why, though? Surely someone like her, judging from the way she presented herself, with a stern look and cold blue eyes, had fought in the war. Her soft pink hair was very distinct, so Fang would have remembered her if she had seen her on the field.

Beside the woman stood a shorter, younger woman who had the same pink hair. But she seemed a lot...nicer compared to the older one. Her features were softer and her eyes, more hopeful. She smiled at the tall, bulky blond man standing not too far from her.

"Fang! Stop ogling and listen to your father's speech!" Vanille whispered, nudging the taller woman.

"Yeah, yeah," Fang waved.

After a moment, Primarch Farron took over the microphone. Fang thought that the ceremony was drawing to a close; she couldn't help but feel worried. Had they forgotten about her? The warrior that killed Orphan? Maybe they saved the best for last. At least, that was what Fang hoped.

"Now, I know that many of you are wondering why we have yet to thank the warrior that slayed Orphan for humanity..." the Primarch began speak.

"Oh, Vanille! That's me!" Fang almost shouted. She was overwhelmed by the sudden surge of happiness.

"I know! I'm so proud of you!" the redhead was trying not to squeak. Fang could see that she was trying to hold herself from jumping up and down.

"Oerba Yun Fang, please come on to the stage," the Primarch requested.

Fang smirked and proudly marched onto the stage. Up there, her eyes met cold blue ones.

Since when did the pink-haired woman get up there?

They stood facing each other on opposite sides of the stage. Fang quickly glanced down, seeing Vanille, who mouthed _Go, Fang!_ She returned her attention to the strange woman, whose face was expressionless. There was this aura about her that Fang found fascinating, yet her sharp and distant blue eyes seemed threatening.

Fang felt like she was being regarded as dirt.

She did not like that.

What was this about? Fang wondered. Was this going to be a duel? A showdown? To see which was stronger? The Pulsian warrior, or Cocoonian soldier with eyes that shot daggers? Fang let her eyes wander down. Lightning wore the uniform of the Guardian Corps. Fang saw a black leather case hanging loose behind the woman's hips. It contained a gunblade, an advanced type of weaponry only the best of the elite soldiers of Cocoon used.

Fang was not scared of this woman's intimidating stare, but she starting to feel uneasy.

It still didn't make sense to her. Wasn't this ceremony supposed to bring Cocoon and Gran Pulse closer together? If so, then what is this? The other woman looked like she was ready to murder Fang.

"Now, for the big news you've all been waiting for," Primarch Farron suddenly spoke loudly and happily.

_A duel. It has to be a duel._

"In an effort of bringing Cocoon and Gran Pulse closer and to ensure friendly relation amongst our people, I, as the leader of Cocoon, hereby grant Oerba Yun Fang my daughter, Claire Farron's hand in marriage."

Fang's stomach sank.

_What...the...hell? _


	2. Chapter II

Author's Note:

Chapter I has been updated.

King Farron is now Primarch Farron.

Thanks to _**Wolvenkite**_ for pointing out that Fang wasn't angry enough. This chapter has been updated.

* * *

**Chapter II**

_**The Wonderful Wedding...**_

"Look who's getting married~"

"Shut it, Vanille."

"Aw, is Fang grumpy today?"

Back in the guest room she shared with Vanille, Fang lied on her back, thinking of her...unexpected reward. It had been three days since the signing of the peace treaty; since the moment Fang had reluctantly accepted her grant. As the people of Gran Pulse and Cocoon cheered for the future union of two prominent families, Fang's heart cried for the loss of her freedom. There were no other choices. She could not refuse the marriage.

She ended the war, and she was not going to start another one.

The next day would be the wedding, and Fang was finding reality getting harder and harder to face, to the point where she locked herself in the room for the entire day. This wasn't a reward, this was punishment she didn't deserve. Every time she thought of it, she felt a small ache in her heart.

Fang got up from the bed to retrieve her mug from the coffee table. She took a sip of the water, then scowled.

"Goddammit!" She threw her mug against the wall. It was the twentieth one. "Fuck!"

"Fang! Stop destroying everything! You've been doing that for the past three days!" Vanille said.

It was true. At first, Fang had been going around picking fights. After being scolded by her father a few times, she resorted breaking glass, doors, and tables.

"I just—I can't just marry like that!" Fang shouted, pacing around the room. She didn't know what to do. She sat down on the couch, then got up. Then sat down again, and stood up again, only this time, she flipped the coffee table over.

"Maker!" Vanille jumped.

Fang looked at her angrily, "Why are you so happy?"

Vanille smiled sheepishly. "Nothing...I do worry about you, though."

Fang sighed, kicking the table. "Fuck my life," she walked towards the bed and lied down again.

Fang dreamt of exploring the world, of gold, glory, of the many women she would have been able to woo. But now, everything just went to hell.

"This is such bullshit," Fang exclaimed as she sat straight up on the bed. She glared at Vanille, who seemed to be too happy for this. She growled and roughed her dark hair in frustration. "Is this how they treat war heroes in Cocoon? Force them to marry someone they barely know for political purposes?"

"Don't be so negative, Fang," Vanille said to her sister, "you are like, the symbol for Gran Pulse now...and Lightning is the daughter of the Primarch. So the two of you marrying is an important step in uniting the Gran Pulsians and the Cocoonians! Just think about the people of Cocoon—"

"Cocoon can rot for all I care..."

"Fang! Don't be so loud."

"Yeah, Fang, you're supposed to the symbol of peace."

The two young women looked up and saw Yun Dov, chief of the tribe and Fang's father. He had just stepped into the room with two warm cups of tea. He smiled at them before handing each of the girls one cup. Yun quiet sat down beside his daughter and sighed.

"You know, dad, I don't think I'm ready to be married," Fang admitted sadly. "I don't think I'm capable of making such a sacrifice. I mean, once I marry, who's gonna take care of Vanille?" It was one of the many, many reasons why Fang didn't want to marry.

"Vanille can live close to you," Dov replied.

"B-but, what about my other duties? I gotta serve our clan, and hunt, and..."

"The Primarch and I have talked about this for quite some time now. I know that I shouldn't have kept this from you, but I didn't want to scare you away. Well, then again, if you ran away, I could just hunt you down and drag you back, not before giving you a beating, of course," he chuckled. Yun Dov was the chief his tribesmen both feared and loved. He was also the only one that could scare Fang.

"It's gonna be okay, Fang," Vanille reassured and gave her sister a cheerful smile. "I can take care of myself."

Fang nodded, "yeah, it's totally going to be okay. She just looks like she wants to eat me."

Vanille had a curious look on her face. "She could like one of those creatures, the ones that eat their lovers after mating."

"I feel so much better now, thanks."

Dov cleared his throat. "Alright, you kids." A short pause. "From what I learned about the her, she is a very serious person. So I suggest you to drop the sarcasm if you want to get along with her. Think you can do that, Fang?" asked the chief as he patted Fang on the shoulder.

"Sure thing, Dad. And as a bonus, I'll drop dead, too. Bet she'd like that. Skip the lovemakin' and go straight to—"

"Fang!"

"Okay," Fang waved her hand casually, "sorry."

_Sorry for my poor soul._

* * *

The wedding wasn't as difficult as Fang had previously imagined. Sure, the fact that she was getting married to a potentially life-threatening partner was unpleasant and worrisome, but Fang loved the attention she was getting as she rode her chocobo through the busy main street, waving to her fans, who cheered and screamed.

_For my people..._

Approaching the altar that was set up before the Capitol Building, Fang steadied herself mentally and made sure that her posture was prideful and confident. She was the great Oerba Yun Fang, after all. She was not going to be intimidated by marriage or her scary-looking bride. She was the heroine that slayed Orphan. She was capable of anything.

The soldiers cleared the aisle of any one that got too excited. Fang got off her chocobo, took in a deep breath, and began her march towards the altar. Lightning was already there, wearing the dark dress uniform of the Guardian Corps. Fang supposed that the Primarch did not succeed in convincing Lightning to wear a wedding dress. It was probably one of the things he had to give up for the greater good...

Fang was thankful that she could wear a sari. It was more fancy and formal than her usual blue one, but it was something she felt comfortable in.

As she walked towards the altar, she began to sweat and her heart sped up just a bit. She felt like she was heading to hell and never coming back.

Lightning, on the other hand, remained perfectly cool. Fang couldn't read her expression; her rigid body language told Fang that she was acting like this was just another military duty. While facing her, Fang wondered if she wanted to know what Lightning was thinking. She could sort of guess that it was likely something similar to 'how-to-kill-your-spouse-on-the-first-night'.

"Sounds great..." Fang whispered to herself.

Lightning's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. Seeing that, Fang smiled at her, which caused the corn of her mouth to turn downwards just a tiny little bit.

Lightning's eyes grow colder and more harsh as the priest began the ceremony. Soon, Fang could tell that she was irritated. Her eyebrows narrowed slightly and her scowl was a little more obvious. Fang enjoyed this, watching Lightning's internal struggle as she tried to keep a neutral face. This talk of marriage, love, and devotion was getting on her nerves.

Lightning, noticing Fang's amusement, exhaled deeply through her nose and tightened her jaw. Her normally pale face was reddening. To Fang, Lightning was like a dangerous bomb on the verge of exploding. She just needed to taunt her a little bit more...

"Now," the priest announced, "the two of you may kiss."

Fang smirked at Lightning and shrugged her shoulders. It had to be done. Lightning mumbled something under her breath before frowning and accepting Fang's kiss. It was a light brush of lips, but upon contact, Fang could almost feel Lightning's anger that was boiling inside of her. The aura around her screamed murder.

Fang broke the kiss and grinned as the crowd cheered for the newly wedded couple.

The Pulsian realized something that day. Perhaps a life with Lightning wasn't going to be that bad. Fang has discovered of a new form of entertainment, something very unique and alluring.

After all, Fang was a huntress who loved fun challenges.

_**The First Night of Love and Passion...**_

Sometime after the wedding, they arrived at their new mansion. It was a huge, two-story house with a beautiful front garden and fancy gates. Fang looked around the place through the side window as the limo continued on its way to the front doors.

_ Gran Pulse is still better. _

It was dark when they arrived, but Fang imagined, if was day time, birds would be chirping happily and the colourful flowers would shine under the sunlight. The biggest thing on the front garden was the maple tree, whose leaves were turning red.

The house itself had an architectural style that was a pleasing mixture of modern day buildings and medieval houses. The stone bricks were a silver-grey colour and the roof was covered in black shingles. One section of the house was almost entirely made out of glass, exposing what seemed like a room for recreational purposes. It had a table, a few chairs, and a piano. Fang couldn't make out the other things in the room, but the fact she could see enough was making her feel uncomfortable. People could spy on them easily and some really stupid ones could even smash the glass and walk straight in.

Still, she was excited. She missed her home, of course. She missed the nature of her homeland. The green planes, rocky mountains, the animals, and the fresh air. But she supposed that she could just used to city life for now; she suspected that this marriage wasn't going to last very long by the looks of it.

Lightning and her had not spoken a word to each other the since saying the painful "I do" at the wedding hours ago. So Fang wasn't too disappointed when she found out that a honeymoon wasn't possible due to reconstruction.

When they stepped into the house, Fang was greeted with a big living room filled with expensive-looking furniture and a team of servants that politely said hello before taking their suit cases and bags upstairs. Lightning refused their help and carried her things quickly upstairs. Fang didn't care, she just wanted to explore the house.

One thing was bothering her though: how did a house like that survive the war? Surely they wouldn't be able to build something like this in a month...She shrugged, thinking maybe the previous owner, who was undoubtedly rich, hired extra protection during the war. Then he somehow lost the house.

Yeah, that was it.

For the next hour or so, Fang explored the house, not bothering to count the number of rooms. There were two kitchens, one on the first floor, and one in the basement; and at least three recreational rooms, judging from her memory. Maybe four. They had things like instruments, paintings, and big screen televisions. The leather couches she tried were fairly comfortable. But in Fang's mind, nothing was better than her old bed back in Gran Pulse.

Down in the basement, there was the servant area, a miniature-sized gym, and Fang's favourite, the home theatre with a pool table and a nice bar counter with a collection of fine wine behind it.

Still, out of the whole place, Fang found herself drawn to the outside. There was a pool right behind the house. Pass the pool was another garden, bigger than the one at front. Behind the garden was the forest. Maybe Fang could go hunting there, or to train. The Primarch did say that he granted them a piece of land, so there should be plenty of space. Off to the side, Fang saw a tennis court and a miniature golf course.

_Because every rich person needs to play golf. Ain't that the way on Cocoon? _

* * *

It was almost midnight when Fang finally reached the master bedroom, the room she had avoided the entire time she had wandered around. Now, it was time to face Lightning.

Fang walked in cautiously and quietly. Lightning was standing right in front of the dresser, holding an electronic news reader in her hands. Seeing that Lightning wasn't going to move anytime soon, Fang relaxed a bit.

_Maybe she won't kill me. _

Lightning hadn't even looked at her yet.

Fang flopped down onto the king-sized bed, rubbing her face in the feather-soft blankets. She sighed as all the tension her muscles were released. She rolled over, staring straight at the ceiling.

"So..." she mumbled, "I'm Fang."

Silence.

Fang raised her head to look at Lightning, who settled the reader down on the surface of the dresser. She rested her hands on her waist, her face neutral.

"We're married."

"I know," Lightning replied flatly.

Fang huffed, trying to think of something to say.

"It's late," Lightning spoke, her voice cold and uninterested.

"Yeah..." Fang suddenly sat up, "we'll talk tomorrow." She really wasn't in a mood to taunt or to talk. She could save that for the next morning.

Fang began to remove her clothing. Her boots came off first, which she let drop on the floor. Next were her earrings; she set those aside on her nightstand. Then she went after her belt buckle.

Now that certainly caught Lightning's attention.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my clothes?"

"I can see that. Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"Lightning, you are not so bright for someone who has the word 'light' in her name. But I'll be nice and tell you that I'm simply getting ready for bed. Don't you Cocoonians do that too? Or are you folks really weird?" Fang raised an eyebrow.

Lightning crossed her arms defensively and a visible frown formed on her face. "You are not sleeping here."

"Yeah, I am. We're married."

"No, you're not. Get out."

"No."

"_Get out,_" Lightning growled, stepping forward as her arms dropped. Her hands turned into fists.

"Hey, I won't bite. I promise," Fang grinned. She scooched over to one side of the bed while her hand signalled Lightning to come to the other. "Right here, love."

"Your name is Fang...and no," Lightning replied rigidly.

"Aw...it's okay to be scared," Fang pouted at her. "Virgin princess is nervous. I understand."

Lightning's eyes twitched. "What?"

Fang gave her a confused face. "Are you a virgin?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lightning bared her teeth as her face reddened.

Fang shrugged, "just asking. You know what married couples do, right? Or do I have to explain in detail?" Fang was trying not to smile. Her heart sped up just a little due to the excitement she was feeling, seeing Lightning's reactions like that. It seemed like teasing wasn't going to wait till the next morning.

"You fucking perverted Pulsian," Lightning spat.

"Hey, I just think that we should try an' get to _know _each other, ya know what I mean? Body first, then we'll do the talking and the emotional stuff the morning after. That always works."

"If you touch me," Lightning said with a threatening voice, "I'll—"

"You'll break my hands?"

"I'll break you neck."

Fang stood up, and abruptly placed a hand over her heart. Her other hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes widened and she gaped. "Oh, Maker! I'm so scared!"

Lightning rolled her eyes, growling.

"Please be gentle!" Fang begged dramatically, "it's my first time!"

"Oh, _you!_" Lightning's face twisted with rage.

"Shit!"

Lightning growled loudly before launching herself at Fang. Boy, was she fast. Fang barely got out of her way, sprinting towards the door. Lightning turned to catch her, yelling something on the lines of "gonna rip you apart". Fang almost didn't make it to the door.

Fang slouched against the side of the hallway, slowly rubbing a new bruise on her right arm. She couldn't recall how or when she got that. What she did remember was a loud bang on the door when she had slammed it into Lightning.

Fang let go of a shaky breath, feeling her heart rate decreasing. She was...scared for a split of a second there. But it was all worth it. Fang chuckled to herself.

She could still feel Lightning's anger emitting from the bedroom.

"Domestic violence already, huh? No wonder your dad wanted to marry you off so quickly."

_**And Then They Lived Happily Ever After...**_

Fang rose early the next morning, after having an unsatisfying night of sleep. Her eyes were sore and her body felt exhausted. Her hype from the victory had worn off and reality was now giving Fang the middle finger. She had spent the night on the other side of the mansion from the master bedroom. Her mind had been on high alert.

Maybe thinking of the very likely possibility that Lightning didn't have a good night's rest either would make her feel better, but she really wasn't in the mood for anything Lightning related right now.

Fang remained in her room for quite some time. She just sat there, thinking of the situation she was in. She tried not to, but the environment around her, the decorative furniture and the soft bed, was constantly reminding her of where she was. The tension in her heart told her that she was going to be stuck with Lightning for the rest of her life.

Life in the Viper's Nest wasn't going to be easy.

Or was it?

As soon as she could smell the sweet scent of breakfast from downstairs, Fang almost instantly felt better. She looked at the time; it was almost seven o'clock. The servants must be cooking something good, Fang thought.

"Well, nothing against food," she mumbled as she dressed quickly and headed towards the kitchen downstairs.

The house was quiet except for the sound of cooking breakfast. The chef was probably the only one up.

Fang stopped just outside of the kitchen area. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her body, inhaling the smell of breakfast. She felt a warm relaxation spreading throughout her body.

Without looking into the kitchen, she grabbed a chair and sat down. "Alright, I'll take a plate now," she requested to the chef.

"Get your own damn plate," a voice replied harshly.

Fang looked and her mouth twisted. It was Lightning cooking breakfast. Startled, Fang stared at Lightning, who was currently in a typical black apron. She had been making pancakes.

Fang rubbed her hands together and smiled weakly. "Yeah...sure." She awkwardly got up and went to the counter beside Lightning. She reached out her arm, aiming for one of the two plates filled with pancakes.

Then something smacked her hand away. Fang froze.

"Hey..."

"Make your own breakfast," Lightning said, waving the spatula forwards Fang so she would back away.

"You just said—"

Lightning cut her off, "I _said, 'make your own breakfast'._" She cast quick glance at Fang.

"Nah...can't let your hard work go to waste," Fang argued as she stepped forward again.

"I didn't make you anything," Lightning stated, continuing her cooking with her back facing Fang.

"Then why did you make two plates?"

"Both for me."

Fang tried to go for the plate again, and like the previous time, Lightning stopped her. This time with more force. "Fang," she said, her voice low and her teeth baring. "Back off."

Ignoring her, Fang grabbed Lightning arms and shoved her gently, but with enough strength, to the side; her other hand snatched at one of the plates. Lightning quickly pushed back with her body, causing Fang to lose balance. But she made it safely to the dining table and sat down, only to realize that she needed a fork, and some syrup.

They were both by Lightning's side.

Lightning scowled, stepping forward with her fists. Fang stared. After a few moments of silence and motionlessness, aside from the sizzling pancakes, Lightning released a sigh and headed back to cooking. She mumbled lowly as she flipped the pancake over.

Fang relaxed and smirked. Lightning was quite adorable like this.

"Why are you cooking?" Fang asked as she turned her head to look around. "Where are the servants?" Fang had always thought that the people of Cocoon, at least the wealthy ones, depended a lot on servants.

"I sent them away. We don't need them," Lightning replied coolly.

"Ah, so you fired them? From their jobs?" It had happened over night and Fang knew nothing about it.

"Why do you care?" Lightning questioned, looking her this time.

Fang shook her head slightly and replied, "just asking, that's all."

Lightning sighed, again, before returning her attention to the last few pancakes she was cooking for the morning.

"So...about last night..." Fang started, voice gentle. She didn't wish to start a fight with Lightning, or scare her away. "I think we should be find a way to work this out, since we're married and all," Fang continued, her fingers tapping the table. She still wanted that fork and syrup, but if she approached Lightning now, the consequences wouldn't be pleasant. "Aren't we supposed to be, like, the symbol of peace?" Lightning still remained silent. "Last night wasn't so peaceful."

"If you stop acting like an annoying jerk, we might work this out," Lightning finally said with a neutral voice. She filled up one more plate with pancakes and that was the last of them.

"Might. So you have to stop being a sensitive bitch," Fang spat, sounding more harsh than she wanted to.

Lightning turned her head sharply and looked at Fang, clenching her jaw. "You should stop being a primitive and arrogant barbarian," Lightning growled, her eyebrows narrowing.

Fang scoffed, "spoken like a true viper. So that's how you want to play it, huh?" She jumped off her chair. "They must've defined 'viper' after you."

"Fuck you, Fang," Lightning almost yelled. She threw her spatula to the side and marched forward, focusing solely on Fang.

"Hey, Lightning..." Fang said, trying to stay calm.

When Lightning took Fang by the collar of her shirt and shoved her backwards, Fang stumbled a bit but caught herself. Her first instinct was to attack Lightning, but she restrained her muscles. She couldn't afford to let a real fight break out in the kitchen.

"Lightning...Let's talk about nice thing, yeah?" Fang suggested with a soft voice. She had reached out her hands and arms, palms both facing Lightning, in order to put some distance between them.

Lightning huffed and brushed her bangs out of her flushed face. Her eyes wouldn't meet Fang.

"Yeah, think nice things. Like..." Fang trailed off. _I probably shouldn't say this...but... _"our first date..." Fang smiled sheepishly.

They never had a first date.

Lightning stared at Fang with wide eyes and a questioning look. She mouth opened but no sound came out.

"Or...our first kiss. People always remember those, right?"

Lightning gritted her teeth and began to advance towards to Fang again. This time, she raised her fist.

"Or you smile...See, they are very unique." Fang was genuinely smiling now. Somehow, this situation just turned into a form a entertainment for her. Fang always knew that she liked to tease, but this? This was something new and very dangerous.

As for being friendly with Lightning. Sure, it was friendly. Fang just liked to have fun while being friendly. Lightning looked like she was going to hit Fang any second now, but she knew that she would be okay. Oerba Yun Fang was unmatched on the battlefield. She could handle Lightning easily.

Fang continued, "they are unique, because...they are sweet, loving, and most importantly, upside down."

_SMACK._

Fang didn't see that coming.

Really, she didn't.

Fang bit back the pain she received from Lightning's backhand slap. She rubbed her jaw and the side of her cheek gently. She looked up at Lightning, whose breaths were ragged. "Feel better now you've hit me?"

"No."

"Tell that to my jaw," Fang said.

"You're getting off easy," Lightning mumbled, her fist shaking. "I don't want to start a war with you. But you need to seriously back off. You think you're funny." Lightning icy blue eyes stared straight into Fang's. "You're not," she stated as a matter-of-fact. "You not funny, you not hilarious. You're annoying and you're full of yourself!" Lightning shouted, almost launching herself at Fang. Her voice was shaky and her eyes, angry. "This isn't a fucking game..."

"And Lightning Farron is so much better, right?" Fang said with a sarcastic tone. "Well, you not. You're acting like a teenage girl who needs anger management." Fang leaned towards Lightning. She sighed. "You're the Primarch's daughter, I'm the saviour of Cocoon—"

Lightning growled at Fang, "I can kick your ass anytime."

"I can kick yours with my eyes closed," Fang taunted.

"We'll see," Lightning spoke. She looked over Fang's shoulder. "There's a small grassy field before the forest, that's plenty of space." She looked at Fang. "We'll fight."

"You'll be sorry," Fang smirked.


	3. Chapter III

Fang is the perfect combination of sexiness and badassery.

* * *

**Chapter III**

**Lovers Out For A Morning Stroll...**

Lightning led the way to the grassy plane before the forest. She had to fight the urge to punch Fang in the face several times while walking there; Fang wouldn't stop boasting. Well, Lightning was going to find out just how good the slayer of Orphan really was, and she aimed to win.

Lightning sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the past hour. Since the moment she saw Fang's smug look at the wedding, she knew she was going to have to deal with someone very irritating. Unfortunately, Fang rose above her estimation and turned out to be the kind of person that wouldn't take anything seriously—like what happened in the morning.

What annoyed Lightning the most though, aside from Fang's rude behaviour on wedding night and when she forcefully took that plate of pancakes, was Fang saying how she wanted the two of them to get along, then continued to be impolite and teasing. If that was Fang being friendly and conversational, Lightning would have none of it. She was going to teach Fang a lesson she would never forget.

Lightning strode, her hands turned into fists. When they arrived at the open plane, Fang continued to walk until she was a good distance from Lightning. They turned to face each other; Lightning was reminded of the day they first met. What they were about to do now was what should have happened.

Her eyes focused on her target, her jaw tightened, her hand reached for the gunblade behind her waist.

"Hey, let's set the rules first," Fang grinned, "first of all, no killing each other, okay?"

"Tch." Lightning snapped her Blazefire Saber into its sword form.

"And no magic," Fang stated, still grinning. Lightning wanted to punch her. "Don't wanna destroy the nice, green grass."

Fang played with her double-bladed red spear, twirling it. The weapon had some kind of tribal markings along its body. It had a name, but Lightning wasn't paying attention to Fang when she had said it. Fang snapped out the blades on the ends of her spear and began to warm up.

Lightning smirked. "You're scared. I can kick your ass with just a few simple spells."

"No way," Fang chuckled, "I just don't want to cause too much damage to our new home, Lightning. You think you're special, huh?" She turned to show Lightning the top of her upper arm. "I'm a l'Cie, same as you."

Unlike Lightning's l'Cie mark, which was a black mark located above her heart, Fang's was white and distorted. Lightning had never seen a mark like that before, so she was somewhat curious of it. But she could think about it later. Right now, the priority was kicking Fang's ass.

If Fang wanted to compete in terms of physical abilities only, then Lightning would accept the challenge. She wouldn't let her guard down because it was supposed to be a...friendly...competition; instead, Lightning was on full alert. Although Fang was cocky, Lightning doubted that she earned her reputation by talking. Even if she did kill Orphan by luck, it still took skills to get close enough to do so.

Now that Lightning had calmed down a bit, she began to observe her opponent. Fang continued to swing her spear around leisurely, occasionally trying some serious moves. Lightning was certain that Fang knew she was watching, yet she let her.

"See something you like?" Fang smirked.

Lightning rolled her eyes. Fang had a great body, with well-toned muscles and tanned skin. Lightning appreciated the view in a way, but she would never let Fang know. The Pulsian had an attractive-looking face, too. Too bad on that face was a very annoying mouth. Lightning had no other choices; she would have to punch that face to make the mouth shut up.

"Hurry up! Getting old here!" Fang complained loudly. She stepped forward and bent her knees, readying herself for battle.

"You asked for this," Lightning mumbled, readying her stance.

"_Lightning!_" Fang cried as she sprinted towards Lightning.

Startled by the sound of her name, Lightning froze for a split second. She wasn't expecting this; to hear such passion behind Fang's voice. Her sexy, accented voice.

_What?_

What the hell was she thinking?

Fang was fast. She already reached Lightning by the time the Cocoon native had realized what was going on. Luckily, Lightning was faster. She dodged Fang, just barely and switched their position so she was behind her. Lightning had been distracted, and she was fully aware of the potential consequences of being distracted during fights.

She needed to refocus her mind.

Fang was surprisingly agile for someone wielding a long spear. However, she wasn't on Lightning's level. That gave Lightning a bit of breathing room.

Lightning continued to dodge Fang, testing her for weaknesses. On an apparent level, Fang's attacks were consisted of powerful strikes. A brute force; Lightning could feel it in the air around the Pulsian. Nevertheless, Lightning knew better. She had seen how fast Fang moved and changed her directions.

Fang jabbed her spear towards Lightning, who swiftly moved left. Fang turned, striking, and again, Lightning dodged. This time, she did a back flip before moving her position somewhere else.

"You Cocoonians just run? C'mon! Let's have some fun!" Fang yelled, baring her teeth. She wasn't even panting yet. "Don't be a coward!"

"Tch. I'm just starting," Lightning replied coolly.

Judging from the current situation, wearing Fang out wasn't going to work. The woman seemed to have unlimited stamina. Although Lightning knew that she could last long in battles, her guts told her that Fang could last longer.

Lightning had been playing this dodging game for quite a while now, and she was going to switch to the offensive.

When Fang moved to Lightning's left, raising her spear for another attack. Lightning saw her first opening and went for it, striking low at Fang.

_BANG!_

Their weapons clashed for the first time. Immediately, Fang pushed against Lightning and shoved her backwards. Lightning stumbled for a bit, having never been surprised with that kind of a force. Fang charged for round two, but Lightning knew what to expect so she missed. Lightning swung back for her turn. After a few rounds of relentless attacks on Lightning's part from different angles and directions, utilizing her outstanding agility and speed as an advantage over Fang, she hit against Fang's spear, turning that speed into force. Fang tried to counter by turning her spear, exposing another opening to Lightning.

The final strike sent Fang back sliding, though she maintained her balance. Lightning smirked, finally gaining the upper hand. It took time and effort to learn about her opponent, but it was well worth it.

Fang looked at Lightning and laughed. A genuine laugh. "That's my girl!" She sprang forward with her spear. Lightning blocked the attack as Fang pushed forward. She turned her gunblade and twisted her body so she was no longer directly in front of Fang. Then, she launched herself into the air, striking down with her sword.

Lightning cried with that attack, putting all of her weight into it. Fang caught it, but was pushed downwards onto the grass. When Lightning landed, Fang bucked her sideways with her spear while springing back onto her feet.

Lightning caught herself and instantly dashed towards Fang for another attack. Fang blocked it and countered it with an attack of her own. Lightning dodged the blades of Fang's spear with an air flip and was soon on the move again.

"Alright! Warm up is over for us, Lightning. Let the real fun begin!"

Fang would charge with her powerful attacks, while still remaining flexible and quick. Lightning, being faster than Fang, used her speed as the basis for her attacks and dodges. Lightning's attacks, which varied in style, came in quick successions, gaining her the upper hand many times. Fang's attacks were of a force that would send Lightning backwards every time she clashed heads on with her; it could wear down Lightning if she forced herself to withstand that force for too long.

Like that, the two fought for a long time. Weapons clashed and swear words were spoken. Through this supposedly friendly competition, Lightning realized something.

She had just faced her finest opponent; a real match. Lightning would later think about this and recall how fun it was.

* * *

Lying on the grass, both women panted heavily. They didn't know what time it was; it didn't matter. The fight was over when it was obvious that no one was going to have a complete victory. Soon, both of them collapsed onto the ground, dropping their weapons. Lightning wiped the sweat of her red face with her hand, still feeling the blood rushing through her veins, her heart pounding in her chest.

"That...was great," Fang said with a shaking voice. She chuckled. "Where did you learn your flowery moves?"

"They are not—tch," Lightning grumbled, "where did you learn to be a brute?"

"I am not a brute," Fang protested.

Lightning closed her eyes. Her muscles wouldn't even listen to her anymore.

"You'll make a great sparring partner, Lightning," Fang said quietly, "I think I like you a bit more."

Lightning didn't even need to look to know that Fang was grinning stupidly again.

"You're not bad yourself," Lightning stated. "Maybe this will work, somehow..." she said in her softest voice. Fang didn't catch it.

The corner of Lightning's mouth tugged upwards gently before she fell asleep.

_**Little Sisters Know the Best...**_

They worked out a system. Well, sort of, if Fang could follow the rules properly. Lightning tried to be patient. She really did. But Fang seemed to be rather entertained by Lightning's frustration and had made teasing Lightning into a hobby. Fang didn't poke fun at her all the time, but enough to make their first fight, where both of them had fallen asleep afterwards, to be the only peaceful time that ever existed between the two.

In order to avoid Fang as much as possible, Lightning spent most of her days at the Guardian Corps Headquarters, working. Fang didn't like it very much, saying that they needed more time together so they could sort things out and get to know each other. But to Lightning, there was no point in that; this relationship was hopeless from the beginning.

During her time off work, Lightning had attempted to organize the house, but Fang was constantly messing things up. She disliked Lightning's military-like lifestyle, saying that it was too rigid.

So when she had left to visit Vanille for a couple of days, Lightning could finally do what Fang had been sabotaging her from doing.

In an effort to organize the house, Lightning labelled all cabinets and drawers in the kitchen. This way, everything had its own place. She had taken it far enough so that even the inside of the fridge was labelled; each level and space had been assigned a specific type of food.

Then, Lightning moved almost all of the books into the library and reorganized the room entirely so everything was in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author. Next were the recreational areas and the living room. After sorting out everything, which took what seemed like forever, Lightning put labels where needed as well.

The main focus was her own room. After kicking Fang out on wedding night, Lightning had been gradually setting up the room in her style. She labelled the closet, sorted out her clothes according to colours and patterns. One of the big shelves was used for shoes and other accessories.

By the end of the second day, everything was the way Lightning liked. It made her feel relaxed and happy, and most importantly, in control. The only thing making her nervous now was the fact that Fang would be home soon, but Lightning was ready to protect her hard work.

In the evening, when she had just finished cleaning the dishes, Serah came for a visit with Snow. Lightning was happy seeing her sister after two weeks, then felt guilty for not spending time with Serah since the wedding. She had too many things on her mind, and between dealing with Fang and her work, she didn't have time for anything but short phone calls.

Serah was three years younger than Lightning, so she was only eleven when the war had begun, twelve when their mother had died. With their father away at war, Lightning forced herself to become an adult and soon joined the military, who were desperate enough to hire teenagers that were underage. Serah and Lightning's relationship took a toll because of it, but the younger Farron still tried her best to be there for her sister, whether it was as a nurse or simply moral support. In contrast to Lightning, Serah was more hopeful, more optimistic. Although the war had been cruel to the Farron sisters, Serah never lost her gentleness.

A year before the war ended, she became engaged to Snow, a big man twice her size. Snow, like Serah, was an optimist. He was also an idealist, who, according to Lightning, suffered from a severe case of hero complex. Whether or not that was true, there were many different views. In reality, though, Snow was an orphan who had always wanted a big, happy family and was willing to go through hell to protect it.

Lightning and Snow's relationship had a rocky start, but the war had bonded them.

Serah and Snow greeted her gladly. Lightning waved at Snow and gave her sister a hug. "Sorry," she said to Serah, gently, "I didn't have time..."

"Hey, no worries, sis," Snow said, putting his arm around his fiancee, "we've been busy, too, planing our wedding and all." He was smiling like an idiot, which was typical of him.

"Yeah, it's okay," Serah reassured. "I can understand that things haven't been easy for you." Then her smile turned just a little devious. "Anyway, how's married life?"

"Fantastic," Lightning deadpanned.

"That's awesome!" Snow grinned, "thought you be crazy or something. But I guess everything is alright."

Serah nudged him.

"You're an idiot," Lightning let out a chuckle, "I can't believe that you're marrying him, Serah." She looked at her sister.

"And I can't believe that you're married before me even though I was engaged before you were!" Serah exclaimed, "I didn't how to feel about it. You didn't seem too happy so I was worried. Fang is...how is she, anyway?"

"Annoying. Very."

"I think she's okay," Snow said, "we're all family now, right?"

"Right," Lightning admitted, a small smile on her face.

"But if Fang ever tries to hurt you," Snow said seriously, "I'll make sure she pays for it." He slammed his fist into this chest, where his heart was.

"Thanks, but your duty now is to take care of Serah," Lightning crossed her arms, amused.

Snow tightened that fist. "I promised to protect my family and the people of Cocoon, and I will keep that promise," he stated confidently. He extended out his arm, his fist still tight, "I will take care of Serah, Lightning." He looked his future bride lovingly; Serah smiled back. "But I got your back, too." He turned back to Lightning.

"I believe you, hero," Lightning said. She patted Snow on the shoulder then walked past the couple into the kitchen.

"I'm the hero who will keep Cocoon and my family safe! I got this!" Snow grinned, excited.

Lightning shook her head, chuckling.

* * *

The three spent the next hour chatting. Lightning purposely avoided any topics regarding Fang and her marriage. Of course, that wasn't easy, since they were what Serah wanted to talk about.

Things only got harder when Fang came home.

The front doors opened, Fang and Vanille came into the house, smiling and chattering about something. Lightning tried to ignore them and return to her conversation with Serah and Snow, but her little sister was already on her to greet the two Pulsians.

"Hey, Fang!" Serah said brightly, "hey, Vanille!"

"Serah!" Vanille excitedly ran over and hugged her.

Seeing the little sisters getting along, Lightning smirked. At least not everything about this marriage was horrible, just most things. She was glad that Serah had made a new best friend. She had lost much of her childhood during the war, so if being friends with Vanille would help her gain back some of the things that were lost, Lightning would approve of their friendship.

However, later on that evening, she would regret not preventing Serah and Vanille from becoming best friends.

"Hey, big guy!" Fang waved to Snow, who waved back with a smile.

"Hey, Fang, what's up?"

Fang shrugged, "just thought it would be nice to bring Vanille over."

Lightning and Fang then looked at each in silence. Fang gave her a sheepish smile as she walked towards her. That smile soon dropped when Fang realized what had happened to the house. She gawped once she saw the kitchen. Then terror crept onto her face, which was soon replaced by disgust.

"_What the hell happened here?_" Fang ran into the kitchen, rapidly turning her head take a look around this newly organized space. "Lightning!"

Lightning crossed her arms and huffed, "I cleaned and organized the house while you were gone. See? It's nice now."

"It's a disaster!" Fang yelled, furiously scratching her hair. "For the love of Maker, Lightning, you _labelled_ the goddamn kitchen! It's like...it's like science lab now! A _science _lab!"

"So!?" Lightning jumped up from the stool she was sitting on, scowling. "It's neat and organized! Like the way it's supposed to be!"

What the hell was Fang freaking out about? She should be thanking Lightning, not yelling at her. To Lightning, the house was almost perfect. Did Fang have something against a clean and organized house?

Fang sighed and crossed her arms, scowling. "I don't like it," she said with a displeased voice, "it's so...it's not like a home!"

Lightning frowned, "you don't have to live here."

"Lightning, a home is supposed to be warm and relaxing! Not full of rules and...and labels..." Fang spoke in normal volume, "you know how this makes me feel uneasy. This...rigidness."

"Living in a hellhole makes me feel uncomfortable," Lightning replied.

"It was not a hellhole, it was like a home! I could relax and enjoy television. Now...it's..."

"What's going on?" Serah asked, worried.

"You sister labelled the freakin' kitchen! I never agreed to that," Fang explained quickly. "She's trying to force her boring military lifestyle on me." She walked around the kitchen, pointing out all of the labels. She even tried to ripped some them off, Lightning dashed over and pulled her away. Fang pushed back, but stopped trying.

"It's nice," Lightning said defensively. She could feel her rage coming on. Fang was an idiot.

Fang looked at her as if she just said something ridiculous. "The way _you _like it. This is _our _house, Lightning. I never agreed to this..." A short pause. "Oh, Maker, don't tell me you labelled the rest of the house."

"Just the places that needed them," Lightning said simply, rolling her eyes.

"You didn't touch my room, did you?" Fang asked, worried and sounding almost timid. When Lightning didn't reply, Fang's eyes widened in horror. "You _didn't._" As soon as she finished the last word, Fang sprinted towards the stairs.

Lightning growled in frustration. "'_Thanks Lightning! How generous of you to organize and clean my room!_'" she mocked Fang's accent. "Just keep it clean," she said in her normal voice.

"Lightning!" Serah pouted, "don't be so—"

Before Serah could finish her sentence, Lightning was already off chasing after Fang.

Upstairs in Fang's room, the Pulsian huntress was freaking out even more. Lightning had cleaned her room and labelled her closet. To Fang, it was unacceptable.

"I can't believe you did this!" Fang stared at her closet, "how anal are you? This is _my_ room..."

"This is part of the house!" Lightning said angrily. She stood by the door.

Fang began to rip the labels off again. Lightning didn't bother stopping her this time. It was Fang's room; so if she wanted it to be hell, Lightning wouldn't object to that. She would just try to never go into Fang's room again. The biggest thing that angered Lightning was the fact that her hard work went completely unappreciated.

Fang took her clothes off the rack and threw them randomly on her bed. She then proceeded to flip through her drawers, taking some of the things Lightning had neatly placed in them out. The room was getting progressively more messy, and Lightning soon found herself unable to look inside anymore. She turned around, trying to calm herself down.

Suddenly, Fang stopped and sighed. "You know what, Lightning?"

Lightning raised an eyebrow.

"Two can play this game."

With that said, Fang strode past Lightning.

"Tch." Lightning thought about it for a little bit, then realized what Fang wanted to do. "Oh, don't you dare!"

Lightning rushed towards the master bedroom, past Serah, Vanille, and Snow, who attempted to talk to her. They looked worried and a bit...scared? But Lightning could care less, her main focus now was to prevent her room from becoming Fang's victim.

By the time she got to the door, Fang's back was leaning against the wall opposite from where Lightning was standing. Her arms were crossed in front her chest and she had a smirk on her face. Lightning didn't like where this was going.

Beside Fang was a painting of the Farron family. Fang turned her head and looked at the it, then extended her left arm out. Lightning stood frozen. Fang's index finger touched the side of the frame.

"Don't you _dare, _Yun Fang," Lightning growled lowly, "I _measured_ that..." She could feel herself sweating. Her heart pounded in her ears. Fang wasn't about to this.

Laughing, Fang pushed her finger against the painting. The frame tilted.

If Lightning was a weaker person, she would've cried. Right now, all she wanted to do was to scream and rip that smug look off Fang's face.

"Lightning!" Serah yelled from behind her as the older Farron charged.

Lightning's face felt hot. Her whole body felt hot. She bared her teeth and raised her fist, ready to punch Fang in the face.

Fang, who expected a violent reaction, dodged and immediately went for Lightning's dresser. Lightning's hands stopped herself from slamming into the wall. She turned to look at Fang, and saw the other woman going through her top drawer.

"_I'll kill you!_" Lightning charged again. But before she could reach Fang, a pair of huge arms stopped her from behind.

Snow.

"Let me go!" Lightning struggled, "or I'll kill you too!"

"Lightning stop!" Serah ran over to help her finance.

"Yeah, Fang!" Vanille said, her hands grabbing onto Fang's sari.

Fang laughed, "consider it payback, Farron!"

That only made it harder for Snow to hold on to Lightning. "Sis!"

"See how much better your room is now that I've helped?" Fang was still laughing.

Snow tried to calm Lightning down. "It's okay, the drawer..." He looked at it. "It's still pretty neat." He really thought so, too.

"It's not the way it's supposed to be!"

Fang snorted, "oh, I'm sorry that the world doesn't revolve around you, Lightning."

"_Everybody,_" Serah yelled at the top of her lungs, "_SHUT UP!_"

Everyone froze.

"For the Maker's sake! Lightning! Fang!" Serah shouted, her placed her hands on her waist. Her face was bright red and her normally soft blue eyes were harsh. "I've taught five-year-olds who are more mature than the two of you are!"

"Yeah!" Vanille agreed, "stop acting so immature!"

Lightning pushed Snow away. "Serah, this is not your probl—"

"It is now," Serah stated, "this has gone obviously too far."

"We'll take care of this on our own, little Farron," Fang spoke calmly. She looked at Lightning.

"Well, you've clearly demonstrated that you're not capable of taking care of this on your own," Serah spoke sternly, "you need help."

"Ser—" Lightning was cut off.

"You two need marriage counselling."

"That's ridiculous," Lightning protested unhappily, "I'm not going to talk to some stranger about this."

"You won't be," Serah stated, "I'll be the counsellor, along with Vanille."

Lightning's eye twitched, "no."

"Yes, Lightning," Serah crossed her arms, then her eyes softened. "I just want you to be happy..."

Lightning sighed, feeling tired. "I know, Serah. But...this marriage is hell."

"Finally!" Fang suddenly spoke, "something that we both agree on!"

"Fang!" Vanille gently smacked her in the arm.

Lightning said to her sister, "just let us sort this out."

Serah refused, "no, I'm going help you, Light." Her face saddened. "You've taken care of me your whole life...so just let me take care of you, once, okay?"

"Serah, I—"

"You're my only sister and I just want to help you!" Serah begged, "why are you being so difficult about it?" Her eyes were becoming teary.

"Ser—"

"I thought you wanted me to be happy!" Serah said with a shaky voice, "I—H-how am I supposed to happy when you're suffering?" Her lips were trembling.

"S—" Lightning felt heart being stabbed.

"It just—It just hurts me _so much _to see you like this..." Serah was in the verge of breaking into tears. Snow put his arm gently around her, then looked at Lightning, begging her.

Lightning could no long speak. The guilt twisted in her heart, seeing her sister like that. Even Fang was completely silent.

Serah continued with a small voice, "You promised me you wouldn't shut me out anymore! Don't you remember?" Lightning gulped. "So why are you doing this? Why?"

"_Fine!_" Lightning blurted out, "I'll listen to you..." Her voice was soft and shaky. "I'm sorry, Serah." Her eyes stared at the floor. She let go of a breath, feeling her muscles relax.

Lightning was completely defeated.

"Yeah...you should talk to her, Nice Farron," Fang said gently.

"You too, Fang!" Vanille added.

"Wha—"

"I want to help you, too!" Vanille pouted. "Please?"

"No."

"Please? Please? _Please_?" Now Vanille's eyes were getting watery and sad. She stomped her foot. "_Fang..._"

"Argh!" Fang groaned, "Vanille!" She gritted her teeth. "Alright, do whatever you want. Just...don't make that face again."

"Yay!" Vanille and Serah exclaimed in unison. "We win!"

"Oh, Maker..." Fang sighed.

"Okay," Serah took Vanille's hand, "Vanille and I are going to plan this out. Meanwhile, the two of you be good, okay? No killing each other or anything!" They both had the widest smiles the their faces. Oh, how quickly the their moods changed.

Snow laughed, "yeah, be good."

That earned him a glare from Lightning.

Soon, Fang and Lightning were left alone in the room. Lightning walked towards the door and pressed her forehead against the wall beside it. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning. She couldn't believe herself, giving into Serah's request so easily. Where was her willpower?

"So..." Fang muttered, breaking the awkward silence.

Lightning pushed herself away from the wall. "Little sisters..."

"Yeah..."

That was the second thing they agreed on.


End file.
